Professional Standards/Internal Affairs

Compassion • Integrity • Commitment

Each year, Andover Police Department’s police officers, 9-1-1 communications officers, and other employees have thousands of contacts with people. In some cases, individuals may question why an incident was handled in a particular way. Or, they may wish to acknowledge the employees involved. In other situations, they may disagree with the actions or conduct of a department employee.

The Andover Police Department values the feedback it receives from the community as a means to evaluate current policies. For example, if a particular policy routinely generates questions from citizens, the policy may need to be changed, or employee training may need to be increased in that area. Occasionally, our employee's actions may be inappropriate and warrant corrective action.

The Andover Police Department takes citizen's concerns seriously. We believe the public is entitled to efficient, fair, and impartial service. We investigate all allegations of employee misconduct, respond to inquiries about employee actions or department policy, and document all commendations received from the public.

We investigate allegations and inquiries for these reasons:

• To protect citizens from actual misconduct by an employee
• To protect the department and those employees who conduct themselves appropriately
• To identify policies and procedures that may need review or change, and to find ways to improve the quality of our service to the community

The Andover Police Department recognizes that its employees are responsible for their conduct and actions where the public is concerned. The Department also acknowledges that, at certain times, conflicts between citizens and agency employees can arise. It is essential to the safety of our community that the relationship between the police and citizens is built on confidence and trust. Law enforcement cannot be effective without this vital conviction by both entities.